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Major iPhone 4 flaw

I know many of you are iPhone users and some had pre-ordered it...just ran into this news today:

The newly released Apple iPhone 4 appears to have a significant design flaw that means the device loses network signal when you hold it in your hand.
Reports are flying across the internet that highlight the problem, and TechRadar has discovered that its own handset is badly affected by the same problem.UPDATE: Apple has commented on the problem, insisting that all phones suffer from the flaw to a degree.
We found that holding the handset quickly brought the handset down from five bars of 3G coverage within our offices to limited edge or even no data network coverage at all.
But you don't have to take our word for it – here's our video footage of the incident.
You will notice that as the video draws to a close, the phone actually loses all network coverage.
It's a major problem for the latest iPhone – which saw plastic bands placed around the metal rim to prevent aerial problems.
This flaw was first flagged up in the MacRumors' forum, but we had to do our own video to see if this was an actual problem in the UK.
Worryingly, it seems that it is. Although when we tested a call, it didn't really seem to affect the quality. But even if this is just a visual flaw, it's definitely a problem.

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Re: Major iPhone 4 flaw

Meh. Pretty easy to not hold it the "wrong way". I thought those black slits were higher up on the phone than they are. I just picked up my phone without thinking about it to see how this might effect me when I upgrade, and I hold it in a way where this won't matter. I usually grip the phone at the mid section, not the bottom. This is pretty easy to avoid IMO.

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Re: Major iPhone 4 flaw

My droid is self sentient...

Honestly, it's not perfect. I ***** about it a lot, but I ***** about a lot of things pertaining to technology. Personally, iPhone, Droid, that new 4G phone coming out for Sprint, they're all cool pieces of technology, I don't understand why there is always a constant pissing contest between them.

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Re: Major iPhone 4 flaw

I have been thinking about getting a Droid. I don't want an iPhone because AT&T is terrible out here, you literally can drop calls in downtown D.C. which has never happened to me with Verizon. What the differences between the iPhone and the Droid?

Re: Major iPhone 4 flaw

Apple is releasing a software fix for this issue next week. They are saying as early as Monday.

What are they doing... making the reception bars less accurate? ...Doing away with the bars entirely? Making them refresh at a slower pace so you can't see them quickly change when you just look at the phone and change your hand position?

Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

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"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

Re: Major iPhone 4 flaw

What are they doing... making the reception bars less accurate? ...Doing away with the bars entirely? Making them refresh at a slower pace so you can't see them quickly change when you just look at the phone and change your hand position?

Re: Major iPhone 4 flaw

What are they doing... making the reception bars less accurate? ...Doing away with the bars entirely? Making them refresh at a slower pace so you can't see them quickly change when you just look at the phone and change your hand position?

FTA "Readers report that Apple's tech support forums originally confirmed that a iOS 4.0.1 software fix addressing the issue would ship early next week (as early as Monday), before the comments were subsequently taken down along with all the other related discussion about the matter.

The fix is expected to address a issue in iOS 4 related to radio frequency calibration of the baseband. Readers who saw the original forum discussions say that the issue is believed to occur when switching frequencies; because the lag is allegedly not calibrated correctly, it results in the device reporting "no service" rather than switching to the frequency with the best signal to noise ratio.

iOS 4 introduced some enhancements to how the baseband selects which frequencies to use, so it makes sense that the error may have crept into those changes. Additionally, this explains why iOS 4 has also caused similar problems for iPhone 3GS users.

Additional readers have shared other related experiences that also corroborate the idea that the issue is related to iOS 4's software control of the baseband, including the fact that the issue seems easily reproducible when connecting to a WWAN 3G network but does not appear when connecting to a Microcell 3G. If the problem were simply hardware related issues of the antenna design, it should only affect iPhone 4 units with that new design and should occur at all times, regardless of the tower type. That is not being observed."

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Re: Major iPhone 4 flaw

Its just something for people to complain about! I dont have an iPhone 4 nor will i be getting one considering i just got my 3GS in March. It sounds like Apple has a solution, so whats the big deal people???? Cell Phones are becoming like cars and computers or even better like sports teams! If its not what you use or like, you hate it and talk smack about it, then making your choice look so much better!!!!

Re: Major iPhone 4 flaw

Its just something for people to complain about! I dont have an iPhone 4 nor will i be getting one considering i just got my 3GS in March. It sounds like Apple has a solution, so whats the big deal people???? Cell Phones are becoming like cars and computers or even better like sports teams! If its not what you use or like, you hate it and talk smack about it, then making your choice look so much better!!!!

Sorry about the rant, you all have a nice day now!

Well I think when your cell phone can't make phone calls you have the right to complain. Quite frankly Apple should have never released the phone in this condition as its a rather large problem.

Re: Major iPhone 4 flaw

I pre-ordered mine w/ Radio Shack on the 15th. You'd think that just MIGHT get me one on the 24th. Nope.

Now it's Monday, I call in to Radio Shack, and they still don't have them, but the manager is going to be involved in some kind of "conference call" in about 45 minutes and it was suggested I check back in with them sometime after that to see what the latest is.

Why do I get the feeling is the message will boil down to, "Sucks to be you, come pick it up when we get them in on July 22nd, but thanks for the cash, which we'll still gladly take!?"